User blog:Ponyo Fan/Ponyo's Honest Reviews: Reckless and Retired
This is a new, frank critical analysis blog for various spinoffs on the wiki. I take no bias to any particular spinoff, even if written by a friend and give my own opinions on written episodes in a work. Final score meanings 0-3 - No comment 4-5 - Skip it 6-7 - Try it 8-10 - Read it An average will be made out of all the scores for episodes. Season 1 Chum Bucket List - 7/10. A pretty good start to a very original spinoff idea. When Death Comes Knocking - 6/10. Squidward's clarinet fetish is funny for a bit but wears down towards the end. Still not a bad episode. Bingo Murder - 6.5/10. We've got a start that could go many ways here. Count me interested. The Golden Chopsticks - 5.5/10. Hmm. It's not necessarily that this is bad, it just feels a bit zany for a show about a retirement home. World's Oldest Man - 7/10. I actually was rather amused by this episode. It's been a while since I chuckled out loud at a spinoff. Aliens - 5.5/10. I still don't quite understand the alien/fantasy stuff popping up, but it's not badly written or anything. It's just sort of there, I guess. Unlike Basket Sponge, this is a spinoff where I prefer random day-to-day life over these sort of genre-hybrid episodes. Speed Boat - 6/10. Not up there with World's Oldest Man, but did give me a smile. Young Love - 7/10. Alright, this is a more out-there episode I like. Nice how it turned around from the first two which were a bit flawed. Forest Hump - 6/10. I like the fact that Reckless and Retired has morals. Like smoking is bad. Not just because of what it does to your body, but like, forest fires. Animals and stuff. Not seven. Very eight. Soul Food - 7.5/10. Really enjoyed this one. The opening didn't give me high hopes but it played off very well in the end. Super Patrick - 5/10. Well, I was rather enjoying the zany stuff for a while. Now Patrick feels too much like he does in Basket Sponge. Chicken Fight - 6/10. Keeping in mind I have an immature sense of humor, this was fun. Dumb, but dumb fun. I Do - 5.5/10. The Family Guy reference didn't really need to be there in my opinion. Maybe I'm just bitter about Family Guy. Talk Nerdy to Me - 6.5/10. I like the ending particularly. It was kinda messed up, but funny. Patty Peril - 5.5/10. Just a tad crude for my tastes. SquidzBop - 6/10. I'm giving some credit just by how original the idea is. Kicked Out - 6/10. Pretty interesting. I'm going to say the Dingleberry death gag works better then say, the couch gag in Basket Sponge. Muscle Claws - 6/10. Pretty great episode. Point taken off for the crap. Please no crap. Lottery Ruined My Life - 6/10. I like the fact that this is 'okay' for Reckless and Retired in my opinion, considering what a spinoff we've already named too much in this article's idea of 'okay' is. Captain Nipple's - 6.5/10. Better then the title implied. Haunted Boat - 7/10. More dumb fun. I think I like these horror-esque episodes the best. Gotta Hook 'em All - 5/10. I don't think using a crossover for the season finale was the best idea, but then again Reckless and Retired doesn't need to revolve any long plotlines or anything. Season 2 Let's Join Wikia - 6/10. "Stop," said JCM. Vikings - 6.5/10. Amusing. Disappointed this wasn't a crossover with the History Channel series of the same name, though I guess you can't have everything. Gourmet Formula - 6/10. The part of this episode I liked was remembering that alternate reality episode where Mr. Krabs wore a bra. Sometimes references work. Amnesia - 5/10. Meh...I feel like better things could've been done with an amnesia plotline then just a bunch of pop culture references. Game Over - 6/10. Gets credit for being a better crossover than "Gotta Hook 'em All". Beaver Dam - 6.5/10. I don't know why I'm giving this one a higher score than most of the other really-out-there episodes we've had so far. I just was having more fun reading it. Plankton of the Apes - 6.5/10. I think I know why I like these random episodes better. I'm in post-a-certain-basketball-spinoff shock. Mermaid Sponge and Barnacle Star - 7/10. Again noting the good morals in R&R. Curse - 6/10. Nothing particularly great or noteworthy in this episode, but the usual good writing. Dingleberry Date - 7/10. Nice to see a side character get fleshed out. Though he dies shortly after. Survival of the Fattest - 5.5/10. This one just didn't click with me for some reason. Maybe it'd work against the childhood obesity epidemic though. What Does The Box Say? - 6/10. I like Squidward's little shirtless gag here. And the rabid cat. Son of a Witch - 5/10. Groan. Please no with the 'Patrick's stupid, but he's also a complete douche!' routine. I get that this is influenced by new SpongeBob, but literally no one thinks this is good for his character. Wheelchair Races - 6/10. I like Dr. Gaylord's return. I wish we knew more about him. Patrick's Hip Replacement - 5.5/10. Well...okay. Guess we're not gonna learn more about Dr. Gaylord? Getting Married For Real This Time - 6.5/10. Dumb fun, what R&R does best. It may seem like I repeat myself on this show sometimes, but that's because it follows a formula that doesn't change much, but is actually good-to-decent most of the time. Who Needs Teeth - 6.5/10. Today we learn about peer pressure! I like the title card. Grandchildren? - 7/10. Alright, fine, you found my weakness. I really like Animaniacs. Elderly Showdown: Squilliam Must Die - 5/10. Squilliam getting decapitated and stuck in the blender just reminds me too much of...do I even need to say it? The YouTube Battle - 6/10. Not bad, but where's Maxmoefoe? The Fellowship Of A New Invention - 5/10. A little too random. Old People Problems - 6/10. So SpongeBob...got AIDS? Dark. But nice. I'm screwed up like that. Drinking Gasoline - 5/10. Well, uh...maybe we shouldn't push this sort of messages to the children. Especially in a season finale. Not reviewing season 3 because only one episode is out. Overall consensus Season 1: 6.1/10. 'Try it'. The shiner here is definitely Soul Food. Maybe I just like possessed teddy bears. Season 2: 6.0/10. 'Try it'. A few more weak episodes then season 1, but some enjoyable ones too. Overall, I'm going to semi-quote a YouTuber here and say that I think I like Reckless and Retired. It's like, the most...okay spinoff. It's just like, "Okay...alright...whatever." You don't leave it displeased, but you don't leave it amazed either. Considering the quality of other Basket Sponge, I think that's pretty good. Category:Blog posts